In August 2022, the police in Adams County, Ohio raided the home of Joseph Foreman, also known as rapper Afroman, on unfounded suspicions of drug trafficking and kidnapping. In retaliation, the rapper used home security footage of the raid and referenced it in multiple music videos, resulting in seven officers suing Afroman for allegedly invading their privacy. The plaintiffs, four deputies, two sergeants and a detective are claiming the rapper took footage of their faces obtained during the raid and circulated it without their consent, which is a misdemeanor violation under Ohio Revised Code. They’re also suing on civil grounds, claiming they’ve suffered “emotional distress, embarrassment, ridicule, loss of reputation, and humiliation.”
The plaintiffs are also demanding all profits from the use of their personas, which they’ve outlined as proceeds from the songs, music videos, and concert tickets, as well as the promotion of his merch brand, as well as an injunction to take down all posts featuring their personas. Altogether, the officers are seeking damages in excess of $25,000 on four of the counts listed in the suit — plus attorneys fees — as well as a court order that would prohibit Afroman from putting out any more content related to the raid.
The rapper claims the officers “come up here with AR-15, traumatize my kids, destroyed my property, kick in my door, rip up and destroy my camera system,” at the time of the raid. The police took a number of things with them from the house, including $5,000 in cash. In a recent social media post, Afroman quoted statement from his attorney Anna Castellini stating that they’re awaiting the results of a public records request from Adams County and are “planning to counter sue for the unlawful raid, money being stolen, and for the undeniable damage this had on [Afroman’s] family, career and property.” (Consequence)
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